Martyn Pig by Kevin Brooks

Part mystery and part coming-of-age novel, Martyn Pig is a compelling story about a high school student in England. Faced with the possibility of living with a dreadful aunt, fifteen-year-old Martyn Pig decides not to tell authorities when his alcoholic father dies accidentally, instead asking a friend for her help in disposing of the body.

Come on--this kid's name is Martyn Pig...you already know the teasing he has received all his life. The macabre details are as compelling as the edgy realism, and Martyn’s first-person narrative is dark and desperate. Suspense builds one day at a time while the corpse rots and Martyn lives with his loneliness, depression, and guilt. Did he murder Dad? No, “none of us has any control over what we do.” Is the cover-up working? Not in the way he planned. This first novel is filled with surprise and reversal that make for a breathless read.

Leane Ellis